Captain’s Blog

The breath-taking experience!

Sailing is quite a valuable experience in itself, providing both relaxation and rejuvenation, while serving as an excellent vacation. However, before the holiday unfolds, proper packing needs to be done for a smooth holiday. Once, a sail charter is booked with a company, the next step is to chalk out the essentials to take on the trip. Usually, individuals on their first sailing ventures packs a lot more than necessary, which creates added responsibilities.

Pertinent items include toiletries and medicines. Although different countries have multinational brand soaps, shampoos, shower gels, etc., it is recommended that you carry your own. If you are taking prescription, please ensure you pack adequate supply that will last the duration of your trip. Yachts are generally equipped with a basic first aid kit; so don’t forget to pack items such as sea sickness/nausea medicines, mosquito/insect repellent and any other personal items that you might require for a comfortable trip.

Proper clothing is very important, in as much as you will enjoy wearing swim trunks or swim suits, it is important to protect yourself from excessive exposure to the sun. So don’t forget to pack your swimsuits, shorts, t-shirts and sun cover-ups, sunhats, sunglasses and sunscreen. Deck shoes are the best options on a boat since they don’t slide as much as shoes with smooth bottoms. Windproof and waterproof jackets are not a bad idea, seeing on the water the weather sometimes changes without much warning. Sailing gloves are useful for protecting your hands so if you are planning on being an active crewmember, do pack a pair.

If you plan on taking a sailing vacation in the winter, be sure to include a fleece/sweater and some warm trousers along with some wet weather gear in case of unforeseen weather.
It is advisable to pack your items in soft duffle bags rather than hard suitcases seeing hard cases are more difficult to stuff away in lockers onboard.

If you have food allergies (milk, wheat, gluten, etc.) we advise you to bring the substitutes you use at home seeing these items may not be readily available in some of the small supermarkets of various destinations.

A valid passport is a prime pre-requisite for any journey to a foreign country, (this includes taking a sailing holiday). If you intend to hire a car/bike or any other vehicle while on holiday, you must travel with a valid drivers’ license. Moreover, holiday insurance is always beneficial and hence the respective documents should be packed.

We recommended that you bring a combination of cash and traveller’s cheques along with your credit cards. You can use bank ATM cash machines in most places to obtain Euros or Dollars, as long as your bankcard operates while abroad! Credit cards can be used in most shops and restaurants in larger ports (please consult your journey planner provided by your yacht charter company). Sometimes it is a daunting task to locate cash machines and some places only demand cash, therefore, don’t forget to take enough cash with you.

Here is a packing checklist that will help to make your sailing vacation a memorable one!

• Swimsuits
• T-shirts
• Shorts
• Casual evening wear
• Windproof jacket
• Sailing gloves
• Deck shoes
• Sun hat
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen/sun cream
• Toiletries (all-in-one shampoo/shower gels can be handy)
• Food favourites/substitutes/allergies
• Prescription medicines
• First aid kit
• Travel wash if you want to rinse things out in the evening
• Music CDs if you want to take advantage of the boats’ CD player
• Passport/ID card/visa
• Your sailing log &certificates
• Driving licence
• Holiday insurance
• EU medical card (if from EU)
• Cash/traveller’s cheques/credit cards
• Fleece/sweater
• Warm trousers
• Wet weather gear

Begin your sailing holiday, properly equipped and have the time of your life, sailing through the ocean! And truly immerse yourself in a soothing and tranquil adventure!

-Hira Mela